Active Directory Corruption on Exchange Member Server W2K3
We had a Win2K3 member server running Exchange 2003 go down today. The server, when rebooted, told us the registry files were corrupt. We went through "Recovery Console" and recovered the registry files from the C:/windows/repair directory.
On reboot, we now get an error that the Directory Services could not start...(Error message 1003 was logged in Event Log). (I was surprised that a Member server (not a DC) would have the AD database on it). We booted into Directory Services Recovery Mode and attempted to recover the AD database. Turns out the database is completely missing on this computer. We have no reliable backup on this machine for the AD. We are stuck.
We have tried to restore the NTDS.dit file from one of our DCs. This did not work. The error message is now: "Directory Services could not start, the password is incorrect"
Anyone have a solution to this. Rebuilding the Exchange server from scratch and installing the backup Exchange database is a last resort.
On reboot, we now get an error that the Directory Services could not start...(Error message 1003 was logged in Event Log). (I was surprised that a Member server (not a DC) would have the AD database on it). We booted into Directory Services Recovery Mode and attempted to recover the AD database. Turns out the database is completely missing on this computer. We have no reliable backup on this machine for the AD. We are stuck.
We have tried to restore the NTDS.dit file from one of our DCs. This did not work. The error message is now: "Directory Services could not start, the password is incorrect"
Anyone have a solution to this. Rebuilding the Exchange server from scratch and installing the backup Exchange database is a last resort.
ASKER
Interestingly, this machine was never a DC. It is our Exchange server though. We are following what we have seen in a number of places, that it is a really good idea to not have your Exchange Server as a DC.
We built this win2k3 server from scratch and never made it a DC. It had the c:\windows\NTDS folder. It had a couple files in it but no ntds.dit file. If it was never a DC, I don't understand why we are getting this error.
The restore of the 5 registry files came from the c:\windows\repair directory, if that has anything to do with it?
David
We built this win2k3 server from scratch and never made it a DC. It had the c:\windows\NTDS folder. It had a couple files in it but no ntds.dit file. If it was never a DC, I don't understand why we are getting this error.
The restore of the 5 registry files came from the c:\windows\repair directory, if that has anything to do with it?
David
ASKER
BTW, what is "DR" that you refer to in the BartCD?
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One option would be to be boot the machine from something like Bart CD, and rescue the Exchange files and database files. Then do a full DR on the system and use the existing database and log files. That will get you back to the state very close to failure.
Simon.